Adele Laurie Blue Adkins must be feeling the pressure right now. Though her career to date comprises just one 7"-only single, she's received almost as much press coverage as that other mouthy Londoner with a big, soulful voice and oodles of attitude. To put the hype into context, it took poor Amy a couple of years to nab a Brit Award; Adele's managed it in a couple of months.

'Chasing Pavements', her first proper single, is a mellow, sensuous slice of old-school soul. Its teenager-in-love lyrics are fairly unremarkable, but Adele's voice is a revelation, steering the big, brassy chorus through its melodic twists and turns with consummate ease. In fact, as you realise the precise nature of that haunting emotion in her voice â€“ bruised defiance, we'd call it - everything falls into place. Now that's what all the fuss is about.